ursula-第4章

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labor　and　the　shrewdness　of　commerce；produced　the　revolution　of

1789。　The　two　races　almost　reunited　are　to…day　face　to　face　with

collaterals　without　a　heritage。　What　are　they　to　do？　Our　political

future　is　big　with　the　answer。



The　family　of　the　man　who　under　Louis　XV。　was　simply　called　Minoret

was　so　numerous　that　one　of　the　five　children　（the　Minoret　whose

entrance　into　the　parish　church　caused　such　interest）　went　to　Paris　to

seek　his　fortune；　and　seldom　returned　to　his　native　town；　until　he

came　to　receive　his　share　of　the　inheritance　of　his　grandfather。　After

suffering　many　things；　like　all　young　men　of　firm　will　who　struggle

for　a　place　in　the　brilliant　world　of　Paris；　this　son　of　the　Minorets

reached　a　nobler　destiny　than　he　had；　perhaps；　dreamed　of　at　the

start。　He　devoted　himself；　in　the　first　instance；　to　medicine；　a

profession　which　demands　both　talent　and　a　cheerful　nature；　but　the

latter　qualification　even　more　than　talent。　Backed　by　Dupont　de

Nemours；　connected　by　a　lucky　chance　with　the　Abbe　Morellet　（whom

Voltaire　nicknamed　Mords…les）；　and　protected　by　the　Encyclopedists；

Doctor　Minoret　attached　himself　as　liegeman　to　the　famous　Doctor

Bordeu；　the　friend　of　Diderot；　D'Alembert；　Helvetius；　the　Baron

d'Holbach　and　Grimm；　in　whose　presence　he　felt　himself　a　mere　boy。

These　men；　influenced　by　Bordeu's　example；　became　interested　in

Minoret；　who；　about　the　year　1777；　found　himself　with　a　very　good

practice　among　deists；　encyclopedists；　sensualists；　materialists；　or

whatever　you　are　pleased　to　call　the　rich　philosophers　of　that　period。



Though　Minoret　was　very　little　of　a　humbug；　he　invented　the　famous

balm　of　Lelievre；　so　much　extolled　by　the　〃Mercure　de　France；〃　the

weekly　organ　of　the　Encyclopedists；　in　whose　columns　it　was

permanently　advertised。　The　apothecary　Lelievre；　a　clever　man；　saw　a

stroke　of　business　where　Minoret　had　only　seen　a　new　preparation　for

the　dispensary；　and　he　loyally　shared　his　profits　with　the　doctor；　who

was　a　pupil　of　Rouelle　in　chemistry　as　well　as　of　Bordeu　in　medicine。

Less　than　that　would　make　a　man　a　materialist。



The　doctor　married　for　love　in　1778；　during　the　reign　of　the　〃Nouvelle

Heloise；〃　when　persons　did　occasionally　marry　for　that　reason。　His

wife　was　a　daughter　of　the　famous　harpsichordist　Valentin　Mirouet；　a

celebrated　musician；　frail　and　delicate；　whom　the　Revolution　slew。

Minoret　knew　Robespierre　intimately；　for　he　had　once　been　instrumental

in　awarding　him　a　gold　medal　for　a　dissertation　on　the　following

subject：　〃What　is　the　origin　of　the　opinion　that　covers　a　whole　family

with　the　shame　attaching　to　the　public　punishment　of　a　guilty　member

of　it？　Is　that　opinion　more　harmful　than　useful？　If　yes；　in　what　way

can　the　harm　be　warded　off。〃　The　Royal　Academy　of　Arts　and　Sciences　at

Metz；　to　which　Minoret　belonged；　must　possess　this　dissertation　in　the

original。　Though；　thanks　to　this　friendship；　the　Doctor's　wife　need

have　had　no　fear；　she　was　so　in　dread　of　going　to　the　scaffold　that

her　terror　increased　a　disposition　to　heart　disease　caused　by　the

over…sensitiveness　of　her　nature。　In　spite　of　all　the　precautions

taken　by　the　man　who　idolized　her；　Ursula　unfortunately　met　the

tumbril　of　victims　among　whom　was　Madame　Roland；　and　the　shock　caused

her　death。　Minoret；　who　in　tenderness　to　his　wife　had　refused　her

nothing；　and　had　given　her　a　life　of　luxury；　found　himself　after　her

death　almost　a　poor　man。　Robespierre　gave　him　an　appointment　as

surgeon…in…charge　of　a　hospital。



Though　the　name　of　Minoret　obtained　during　the　lively　debates　to　which

mesmerism　gave　rise　a　certain　celebrity　which　occasionally　recalled

him　to　the　minds　of　his　relatives；　still　the　Revolution　was　so　great　a

destroyer　of　family　relations　that　in　1813　Nemours　knew　little　of

Doctor　Minoret；　who　was　induced　to　think　of　returning　there　to　die；

like　the　hare　to　its　form；　by　a　circumstance　that　was　wholly

accidental。



Who　has　not　felt　in　traveling　through　France；　where　the　eye　is　often

wearied　by　the　monotony　of　plains；　the　charming　sensation　of　coming

suddenly；　when　the　eye　is　prepared　for　a　barren　landscape；　upon　a

fresh　cool　valley；　watered　by　a　river；　with　a　little　town　sheltering

beneath　a　cliff　like　a　swarm　of　bees　in　the　hollow　of　an　old　willow？

Wakened　by　the　〃hu！　hu！〃　of　the　postilion　as　he　walks　beside　his

horses；　we　shake　off　sleep　and　admire；　like　a　dream　within　a　dream；

the　beautiful　scene　which　is　to　the　traveler　what　a　noble　passage　in　a

book　is　to　a　reader；a　brilliant　thought　of　Nature。　Such　is　the

sensation　caused　by　a　first　sight　of　Nemours　as　we　approach　it　from

Burgundy。　We　see　it　encircled　with　bare　rocks；　gray；　black；　white；

fantastic　in　shape　like　those　we　find　in　the　forest　of　Fontainebleau；

from　them　spring　scattered　trees；　clearly　defined　against　the　sky；

which　give　to　this　particular　rock　formation　the　dilapidated　look　of　a

crumbling　wall。　Here　ends　the　long　wooded　hill　which　creeps　from

Nemours　to　Bouron；　skirting　the　road。　At　the　bottom　of　this　irregular

ampitheater　lie　meadow…lands　through　which　flows　the　Loing；　forming

sheets　of　water　with　many　falls。　This　delightful　landscape；　which

continues　the　whole　way　to　Montargis；　is　like　an　opera　scene；　for　its

effects　really　seem　to　have　been　studied。



One　morning　Doctor　Minoret；　who　had　been　summoned　into　Burgundy　by　a

rich　patient；　was　returning　in　all　haste　to　Paris。　Not　having

mentioned　at　the　last　relay　the　route　he　intended　to　take；　he　was

brought　without　his　knowledge　through　Nemours；　and　beheld　once　more；

on　waking　from　a　nap；　the　scenery　in　which　his　childhood　had　been

passed。　He　had　lately　lost　many　of　his　old　friends。　The　votary　of　the

Encyclopedists　had　witnessed　the　conversion　of　La　Harpe；　he　had　buried

Lebrun…Pindare　and　Marie…Joseph　de　Chenier；　and　Morellet；　and　Madame

Helvetius。　He　assisted　at　the　quasi…fall　of　Voltaire　when　assailed　by

Geoffroy；　the　continuator　of　Freton。　For　some　time　past　he　had　thought

of　retiring；　and　so；　when　his　post　chaise　stopped　at　the　head　of　the

Grand'Rue　of　Nemours；　his　heart　prompted　him　to　inquire　for　his

family。　Minoret…Levrault；　the　post　master；　came　forward　himself　to　see

the　doctor；　who　discovered　him　to　be　the　son　of　his　eldest　brother。

The　nephew　presented　the　doctor　to　his　wife；　the　only　daughter　of　the

late　Levrault…Cremiere；　who　had　died　twelve　years　earlier；　leaving　him

the　post　business　and　the　finest　inn　in　Nemours。



〃Well；　nephew；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃have　I　any　other　relatives？〃



〃My　aunt　Minoret；　your　sister；　married　a　Massin…Massin〃



〃Yes；　I　know；　the　bailiff　of　Saint…Lange。〃



〃She　died　a　widow　leaving　an　only　daughter；　who　has　lately　married　a

Cremiere…Cremiere；　a　fine　young　fellow；　still　without　a　place。〃



〃Ah！　she　is　my　own　niece。　Now；　as　my　brother；　the　sailor；　died　a

bachelor；　and　Captain　Minoret　was　killed　at　Monte…Legino；　and　here　I

am；　that　ends　the　paternal　line。　Have　I　any　relations　on　the　maternal

side？　My　mother　was　a　Jean…Massin…Levrault。〃



〃Of　the　Jean…Massin…Levrault's　there's　only　one　left；〃　answered

Minoret…Levrault；　〃namely；　Jean…Massin；　who　married　Monsieur　Cremiere…

Levrault…Dionis；　a　purveyor　of　forage；　who　perished　on　the　scaffold。

His　wife　died　of　despair　and　without　a　penny；　leaving　one　daughter；

married　to　a　Levrault…Minoret；　a　farmer　at　Montereau；　who　is　doing

well；　their　daughter　has　just　married　a　Massin…Levrault；　notary's

clerk　at　Montargis；　where　his　father　is　a　locksmith。〃



〃So　I've　plenty　of　heirs；〃　said　the　doctor　gayly；　immediately

proposing　to　take　a　walk　through　Nemours　accompanied　by　his　nephew。



The　Loing　runs　through　the　town　in　a　waving　line；　banked　by　terraced

gardens　and　neat　houses；　the　aspect　of　which　makes　one　fancy　that

happiness　must　abide　there　sooner　than　elsewhere。　When　the　doctor

turned　into　the　Rue　des　Bourgeois；　Minoret…Levrault　pointed　out　the

property　of　Levrault…Levrault；　a　rich　iron　merchant　in　Paris　who；　he

said；　had　just　died。



〃The　place　is　for　sale；　uncle；　and　a　very　pretty　house　it　is；　there's

a　charming　garden　running　down　to　the　river。〃



〃Let　us　go　in；〃　said　the　doctor；　seeing；　at　the　farther　end　of　a　small

paved　courtyard；　a　house　standing　between　the　walls　of　the　two

neighbouring　houses　which　were　masked　by　clumps　of　trees　and　climbing…

plants。



〃It　is　built　over　a　cellar；〃　said　the　doctor；　going　up　the　steps　of　a

high　portico　adorned　with　vases　of　blue　and　white　pottery　in　which

geraniums　were　growing。



Cut　in　two；　like　the　majority　of　provincial　houses；　by　a　long　passage

which　led　from　the　courtyard　to　the　garden；　the　house　had　only　one

room　to　the　right；　a　salon　lighted　by　four　windows；　two　on　the

courtyard　and　two　on　the　garden；　but　Levrault…Levrault　had　used　one　of

these　windows　to　make　an　entrance　to　a　long　greenhouse　built　of　brick

which　extended　from　the　salon　towards　the　river；　ending　in　a　horrible

Chinese　pagoda。



〃Good！　by　building　a　roof　to　that　greenhouse　and　laying　a　floor；〃　said

old　Minoret；　〃I　could　put　my　book　there　and　make　a　very　comfortable

study　of　that　extraordinary　bit　of　architecture　at　the　end。〃



On　the　other　side　of　the　passage；　toward　the　garden；　was　the　dining…

room；　decorated　in　imitation　of　black　lacquer　with　green　and　gold

flowers；　this　was　separated　from　the　kitchen　by　the　well　of　the

staircase。　Communication　with　the　kitchen　was　had　through　a　little

pantry　built　behind　the　staircase；　the　kitchen　itself　looking　into　the

courtyard　through　windows　with　iron　railings。　There　were　two　chambers

on　the　next　floor；　and　above　them；　attic　rooms　sheathed　in　wood；　which

were　fairly　habitable。　After　examining　the　house　rapidly；　and

observing　that　it　was　covered　with　trellises　from　top　to　bottom；　on

the　side　of　the　courtyard　as　well　as　on　that　to　the　garden；which

ended　in　a　terrace　overlooking　the　river　and　adorned　with　pottery

vases；the　doctor　remarked：



〃Levrault…Levrault　must　have　spend　a　good　deal　of　money　here。〃



〃Ho！　I　should　think　so；〃　answered　Minoret…Levrault。　〃He　liked　flowers

nonsense！　'What　do　they　bring　in？'　says　my　wife。　You　saw　inside

there　how　an　artist　came　from　Paris　to　paint　flowers　in　fresco　in　the

corridor。　He　put　those　enormous　mirrors　everywhere。　The　ceilings　were

all　re…made　with　cornices　which　cost　six　francs　a　foot。　The　dining…

room　floor　is　in　marquetryperfect　folly！　The　house　won't　sell　for　a

penny　the　more。〃



〃Well；　nephew；　buy　it　for　me：　let　me　know　what　you　do　about　it；　here's

my　address。　The　rest　I　leave　to　my　notary。　Who　lives　opposite？〃　he

asked；　as　they　left　the　house。



〃Emigres；〃　answered　the　post　master；　〃named　Portenduere。〃



The　house　once　bought；　the　illustrious　doctor；　instead　of　leaving

there；　wrote　to　his　nephew　to　let　it。　The　Folie…Levraught　was

therefore　occupied　by　the　notary　of　Nemours；　who　about　that　time　sold

his　practice　to　Dionis；　his　head…clerk；　and　died　two　years　later；

leaving　the　house　on　the